Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-06
AGED $50 YEARS.
rHY ANNIVERSARY or TIE LAYING
OFF OF RICHMOND.
How the Hvent Can DO Celebrated bY tne
Laying Of the City aall
Conversions, no.

/
of the cornerstone OF the new CITY
| Hall. received letter from Mr.. W. ID.
| Chesterman suggesting that some day
| in April, 1887, be selected for that cere-
| mony. The reason assigned was that
Richmond was laid off by Major VII
| liam Mayo for Colonel Byrd in April,
| 1877" and that this would give us
| favorable opportunity to celebrate our
10th anniversary. The authorities on
| this subject are as follows:
According to the westover papers Of Colo
| mel William Byrd suhe second OF the name IN
| virginia. the following was the origin OF Rich
mond;
| the foundations OF two large citles-one ..
| Shocco'e 10 be called Richmond; and the otner
at the falls Of Appomattox, TO be called re'efs-
aColonel Byrd had at this time tobacco-ware-
houses located nearly Opposite whsre Tue S, Ss
| eetfleme Mt there. and Whereabouts, was known
as Byrd's w. H. Belvidere, one OF his resi-
| dencee, was located ON tho hill Just beyond the
site OF the State penitentiary.
.Richmond was laid of by Colonel William
Mayo for Colonel Byrd IN APRIL. 1871, In
parallelogram OF thirty-two squares OF Two
| acres each, four In width and eight In leng'n,
| each q0unre being Q1f10eu lntO lOb1. lhSho
was, besides. laid off aoiacentiy a number OF
lots varying in area from eight to fifteen acres.
| The resemblance of the site 70 that OF hcn-
mond on the Thames, England, Il sald 70 nave
| suggested the name Richmond. 1t was estaO-
| lishcd "a a town by an act Of Assembly passed
| In May, 17l2 The price OF town lot conveyed
| 10 Edward Abbott by Colonel Byrd by 'twlg
and turf February 8, 1913, was e7 Virginia
currepcy-equal to s23 49, OF our present
money. In 1857 Richmond was enlarged sy
the laying of by Colonel William Byr1. the
third Of the name and lineage In virginia anu
the con Of the founder, Of a large numberot
lots. which he disposed Of by a scheme OF lot
terry In 1179 the seat OF government OF the
state was removed from williamsburg TO Rich
mond," &c, &C.
sketch OF Richm 0ud By II. A. Brock
Esq. in mardesfy's CyeIopedta.
FROM RECORDS OF HEsRIco COUNTY COURT.
Deadlock page go. June 5, 1737 Colonel
William Byrd conveys 10 John Coles " all That
parcel Of land lying In the county OF Henrico
and Joining the upper line OF whistler Gro
marin, about mile below the falls OF James
river, bounded IN manner tollowing-that Is TO
say: Beginning at the lower corner OF said
William Byrds land, commonly called the
Shockoe tract, near tho mouth OF Sorrel branch,
running from thence along the east line OF said
William Byrd 20 that which IL now the main
road; thence along the said road TO the eastern.
most street between tho road and the river OF
the town lately laid ont called Richmond; thence
along the said street TO the river, end from
thence down the river % the place OF begin
ming, the same containing nine acres, two
roods, and thirty poles. Also, the four eastern
most lots OF the said town Of Richmond, lying
between the road and river, marked In the plan
by the numbers ID, II, "a, and 90
Order-Book, from 1871 to l748. February
term 1879 Richard Levins was granted license
to keep an Ordinary at his house in Richmond
Toun.
(Ihis probably means 1873. The year at that
time commenced, as now, on the list OF Janu-
airy; but the clerk kept up for long timo the
practice Of dating his records between Janu-
airy LIST and March 18th by the insertion OF the
old as well as the new year.l
Same book, page 49, May term l7i2.
John Coles, Gent, presents petition, signed
by himself and others, praying that the town
called Richmond, in this county, be established
by an act Of Assembly, which is ordered TO be |
certified.
The town Of Richmond was incorporated by
an act OF the Assembly In May. l742. 9th. |
Henning's Statutes at Large, pages l9l and |
1927
Researches Made by ID. &. Richard |
son. Esq.
THE SEAL OF THE CITY.
Some years after the war Colonel |
Thomas H. Wynne. who was well
versed in the antiquities of Virginia,
and who had paid special attention to
this particular subject, submitted a re-
port proposing city seal. The seal |
he proposed was adopted, and ON it
this legend:
RICHMOND, VA.
Founded by William Byrd,
MDCCXXXVu.
Sic HUr dd AStrd.
THE DATE.
Now, as to the day Mr. Brock says
The Vfrginfa Gazette Volume I, No 3d. "From !
Friday, April -, to Friday, April % 1871" con-
taiDs the following advertisement:
"1hs IL to give Notice, That on the North |
Side Of James River, near the Uppermost Land
ing, and little below the Falls Is lately laid
of by Major Mayo, Town, called Richmond |
with streets 65 feet wide, In a pleasant and |
healthy situation, aud we'll supply'd with
springs Of good water. IL lies near the Publick
Warehouse at Shoccoe's, In the midst OF great
quantities OF Grain. and all kind OF Provisions.
The Lots will be granted In Fec Simple on Con-
dition only Of building House in Three Years
lime OF "A py 10 feet' fronting within rect Oh
the Street The Lots 20 DO rated according 10
the Convenience OF their Situation, and to be
sold after the April General Court, by me.
civilian BYRD"
been laid off early in April-probably as early
as the 5th.
April is the right month, but mas
much as it is impossible to fix the day
with exactness il has been suggested
that it would be well to make it as late
as possible. The committee will proba-
bly, fix it for the 26th if all their ar
rangements can be made by that time.
THE CORNERSTONE.
A fine piece of granite, four feet
seven inches square, has been selected
by Mr.. Netherwood and will be dressed
for the cornerstone. The ceremony
will be under the charge of the Grand
Lodge of Masons of Virginia. 1t is
understood that the present grand
master, w. +. Drinkard, ESQ.,, will in
vite Past Grand-MasterF Francis II. Hill,
of Madison county, to lay the stone,
and it is probable that Rev. DIR. Moses
d. Hoge will open the exercises with
prayer.
Messrs. Pizzini and Crenshaw COM
pose the subcommittee from the Com
mittee on Grounds and Buildings, and
will meet tomorrow evening to arrange
the programme for this occasion. There
will doubtless be grand street-parade
of the military-artillery, cavalry, and
infantry-and all of the civic organiza-
tions in this city; chiefs and clerks of
the various city departments-the Fire
Department taking prominent part.
Among the names mentioned for
orator of the day are Colonel Archer I
Anderson, Judge w. W. Crump, Mr..
William Writ Henry, Police-Justice ID. '
G. Richardson, Mr.. r. A. Brock, and
Colonel Charles s. Stringfellow.
Judge Crump states that if elected it
would be impossible for him to accept.
He has engagements that will make it
Il
The stone will be laid in the northeast [
corner of the wall.
The Committee on Grounds and
Buildings, under whose supervision the
City Hall is being built, is composed of
Mr.. Thomas N. Render (chairman)
md Messrs. Andrew Pizzini, Jr., Louis
D. Crenshaw, Jr., Evan Snead, and W. {
= Arnn,ouc 1